Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-01-07
A BULL FIGHT IN HAVANA.


constructed to sect 10000 persons, and
there were close upon that number pres
ent at the premiere of the series which
was given on Sunday week. The prices
of admission ranged from So on the
shady side of the plaza to 81 on the
sunny side. A private box to hold six,
in addition, costs, according to position,
from $50 to $50. On Mazzantini's first
entrance into the ring he was received
with a tempest of applause, reminding
me of the explosive outburst that is heard
when favorite of the Derby shoots past
the winning post at EPSON. Then the
picadores and banderilleros appear. and
finally detachment of what the Cubans
call the monOS sabios wise mo- .l.cys),
who are really the negroes who do the
rough work and dru~%erv for the lida-
dores The men all take their places. the
bull is turned in. stands at lay for a few
seconds and. with a dazcd air. usually
makes a rush for horse ON which is
mounted "A picadore.
The first bull was a handsome black
animal with ointment and powerful
horns Chicn enCprnadol. as the official
programme stated it. and in less than ten
minutes he killed six horses. All the
efforts of the espadas and the banderil-
leros to attract his attention were fruit
less. He went straight for the horses and
sudden slaughter was the result. This to
me was the most painful portion of the
performance. as the play with the bull,
the surprising dash of the men over the
arena. the gay costumes. the mad excite
ment of the audience. the wonderful
nerve of Mazzantini before he gave the
huge beast the coup de grace. were all
calculated to interest and excite rather
than to disgust. Mazzantini by the way,
wore a superb costume of green and gold.
heavily and exquisitelv embroidered. The
picadores were clad in buff and silver,
while the mental and active monos sabios
wore red caps and jackets The entire
staff were practical acrobats. for OCCASION
ally, when the bull made sudden charge
in their direction. the whole of the per-
formers leaped the palings of the inclos-
ure with a speed and nimbleness sug-
gestive of long training in circus. More
adroit dodgers and jumpers certainly
never gazed upon.
There We're six bulls engaged in sep
arate contests and the modus operandi
was much the same in each case. The
picadores use as a lance pole t lnat-
ing in short sharp spike. When the
bull dashes at the horse the picadore
lunges at the animal. wounding him
usually in the shoulder In most cases
he pays but scant attention to the irritat-
ing thrust. but cores the horse. happily
making short and mortal work of that
portion of the combat. The rider olsen
cages himself as hest he may. and while
doing so a banderillero to attract the at
tention of the hull. filings a red cloak in
hi face. This calls him off. and he makes
chase. being diverted in his course by
Others of his tormentors. until he is
worked up to a high pitch of fury. While
this goes on the thousands of spectators
shout their loulest. and when an adroit
turn or ii clever coup is made by per
former the more enthusiastic throw their
caps into the arena, crying: Bravo,
toro!' ''Blen negado hombre!' And
the ampitheater is seethng, bowling
mass of humanity.
During the progress of the fight the
banderilleroS. in order to keep the bull in
an enraged condition, thrust sticks. in tn,
ends of which are barbed points like the
half of an arrow in his neck near the
shoulders. To execute this with GER
tainty and adroitness the performer must
face the bull. and the holiness with Mich
he takes up his position is surprising.
While one banderillo swiftly delivers the
barbs another stands close at hand ready
with his dull red cloak to cover the re-
treat of his companion. In 81 ain am
told that when a bull is indisposed to
o 81 nd foil L. 70 ha
aroused by these maddening weapons
they are supplemented by fireworks,
which ignite when they touch the body
and blister him to agony and fury None
of the animals engaged in the Plaza de la
Habana required this fiendsh stimulant
to incite them to action. On the contrary
they entered into the spirit of the fight
with as much eagerness and animation as
did the performers.
Senior Francisco Alvarez, who gracious
ly accorded me seat in his box and who
has witnessed many trays in Madrid and
Seville, assured me that he had never
seen SO brisk set of pugnacious bulls.
These animals, by the way, are reared in
Andalusia especially for the ring, and cost
$500 each to land in Havana Their pedi-
grees were given in the programme with
many details anent their breeding and
condition. The supreme moment at length
arrives. After sufficient teasing and tort
uring the enraged animal must he killed.
The espado, who has closely watched the
maneuvers of the banderilleros comes
jauntily forward, bows gracefully right
and left to the vast throng. and throws
his black embroidered cap high into the
air. He carries short, straight sword
and scarlet cloak. He advances toward
his antagonist and provokes his attention.
He eXasperates him by Haunting the red
mantle, the BULL goes for him" and he
leaps adroitly ON one side. These move
ments are repeated several times, and
when he gets his victim well in position
the skilful matador, with fiendsh grace,
delivers his weapon almost to the hilt be-
tween the shoulder blade and the spine
1t seems miracle that he is not i'm
paled on the horns of the beast, from
whose mouth gushes a torrent of blood